It’s not often you hear TCU mentioned in the same breath as Colorado or Ole Miss when it comes to quarterback royalty. But here we are. Josh Hoover, the guy who was slinging it like backyard football in 2024, is now drawing real-deal comparisons to college football legends. After TCU’s fairy-tale 2022 run to the national title game and a flatline 5–7 season in 2023, Hoover stepped in with 3,921 yards and 27 touchdowns. A slightly more gunslinger version of Max Duggan. But as the Frogs prep for 2025, there’s one small hiccup: reality.

On July 26, PFF’s Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman lit up the airwaves, hyping Hoover as a legit star: “Let’s talk more about what might be the second-best quarterback in the Big 12 next year in Josh Hoover,” Chadwick said. Wasserman didn’t hold back: “He’s got an argument. Out of 68-plus quarterbacks I watched, he was one of the more intriguing ones. 13th-best passing grade in the country. His ability to throw down the middle of the field is what impresses me. 91.5 passing grade, fifth-best in the country. We’re talking about the elite guys, Shedeur Sanders and Jackson Dart and guys who are putting up huge numbers over the middle of the field. Jake Retzlaff was another one last year for BYU.” That puts him in elite company, just behind Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, who lit up defenses with deep-ball heroics.

Hoover’s game isn’t about bombing it deep like Sanders, who posted a 94.8 deep-passing grade. Nor is it like Dart, who led the nation with 10.8 yards per attempt. Instead, Hoover’s a rhythm guy, shredding the middle with quick slants and seam routes. His 91.5 PFF grade over the middle third of the field ranked fifth nationally, and his lightning-fast kept defenses scrambling. PFF’s Max Chadwick pointed it out: “He had the second-best passing grade in the Big 12 last year. Only Shedeur Sanders was higher.” Not bad for a guy coming off a season where TCU was barely an afterthought by Halloween.

What helped? Weapons. The Frogs were stacked when it came to weapons. JP Richardson, Braylon James, and Jordyn Bailey. TCU didn’t have a WR1, they had an army. Four guys over 700 yards? That’s not fair. But fast forward to 2025 and it’s a new room. Bech, Savion, JP? NFL dream. Still, it’s not empty. Transfers like Dwyer and Manjack IV and Dozie Ezukanma are already turning heads. Hoover might’ve lost the old crew. But the mission remains the same. Ball out.

But every slinger’s got a dark side, right? Hoover’s kryptonite? Man coverage. “Twelve of his eighteen turnover-worthy plays came against man coverage. So he can kind of stare down guys in man coverage and kind of not be sure where to go. He’s a lot better against zone than man.” Wasserman admitted. His look-offs? Meh. His improvisation when things broke down? Let’s just say he wasn’t channeling Johnny Manziel. That SMU game? Yikes. Two picks. Same story against Texas Tech. Winnable games. When it got chaotic, Hoover sometimes turned into a walking disaster film. And the stat that stings? 17 total turnovers. 11 picks. 6 lost fumbles. That led all FBS QBs. No sugarcoating it. He needs to clean that mess up.

Still, the ceiling is high. Hoover averaged over 300 yards per game. Almost Heisman caliber yards in this inflated throwing market. And Sonny Dykes already took Max Duggan to become a Heisman finalist. So it won’t be the first time for TCU. Hoover’s sitting at +25000 in early Heisman odds. But remember. Duggan started 2022 in the same deep waters and almost took home the hardware.

TCU’s Biggest Question Mark in 2025

While everyone’s eyes are glued to Josh Hoover’s potential and Big 12 title dreams, Sonny Dykes has something way more pressing to lose sleep over: the pass rush. It’s basically been a ghost story since 2023. Last season? The Horned Frogs posted a 26.3% pressure rate. That’s sixth-worst among Power Four teams. Sixth. And they barely touched the transfer portal to fix it. It’s like your roof leaks in a storm, and you just put down towels. PFF’s Max Chadwick didn’t mince words: “Their coverage unit is really good, but their biggest weakness is their pass rush.” Facts. Without a consistent rush, opponents’ quarterbacks had all day to pick apart TCU’s secondary.

The secondary was elite. Bud Clark and Jamel Johnson. Those DBs locked it down. Big 12 QBs couldn’t get easy completions even when they had all day to throw. It was impressive until you remembered the front seven was playing patty-cake with offensive lines. Defensive coordinator Andy Avalos is back for Year 2, and there were signs of life late in 2024. TCU gave up 13 points or fewer in four of their final seven games. They started bending less, breaking less, and actually looked like a unit with some bite. They held opponents to 24.6 points per game over that stretch.

So, who needs to step up? Devean Deal is the returning edge guy with real juice. Then there’s Ansel Din-Mbuh and freshman Zach Chapman. Both already had a pretty good camp. But this front won’t scare anyone until they start collapsing pockets and making QBs dance. Until then? It’s up to the secondary to carry the load. Again.

Bottom line? Hoover might have the Heisman long-shot odds and NFL shot. But if TCU can’t find a way to generate pressure, they’re just loading him up with more shootouts. And no matter how good your QB is, asking him to win 42-38 every Saturday? That’s a highway to heartbreak. So yeah, Josh Hoover might be the next big thing. But for TCU to actually go anywhere? That D-line better wake up.